True Courage Found
by Animaman
Summary: Suikoden IV Snowe finally gets the chance to confront his father when he tries to attack the Crusaders, while at the same time, learning how many friends he really has with him onboard. R
1. Daily Life

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

The crew of the Dauntless was busy attending to their duties onboard. Nobody was complaining though, considering all of the battles they fought, this was more like a vacation.

Tal, Jewel, Paula, Keneth, and even Snowe was swapping the top deck, just enjoying each others company.

The mermaid sisters, Lilan, Lilen, Lilin, Lilon, and Liloon, agreed to go swim around, checking to see if there are any ships heading their way.

Hervey and Sigurd are watching over Kika's ship. Dario was on the same ship, but was grumbling because he was forced to clean for once, and the other two were having a few laughs on his account.

Ted and Selma were in the crow's nest, on the look out, while Nico and Wendel were at their usual posts.

Helmut was watching over the Gaien ship for Jango, while Brec was still commanding the Kooluk ship that they capture from Obel.

Bartholemew, Tov, and Phil were doing a little maintenance to the Dauntless.

The merchants were at their usual place.

Champo, Nalkul, and Chiepoo are taking a few lessons from the ship's merchants.

Flare was in charge of the bridge, with Eugene and Nalleo learning about command.

Everyone else was doing whatever they can to keep busy, except for a few others.

Link, Kika, Lino, Jango, and Elenor were making plans for their next destination, when all of a sudden . . .

Hope you like the prologue. Sorry if I didn't mention anybody you liked, but giving the location of all 108 Stars of Destiny characters, and what they are doing, is too much of a pain. Next chapter, Snowe's father causes trouble. Read and Review.


	2. Preparing for Action

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Link, Kika, Lino, Jango, and Elenor were making plans for their next destination, when all of a sudden Wendel came charging in, yelling "Captain! The mermaids are back and they say that there are 5 Gaien Galleons."

"What!" was everyone's response.

Link immediately took charge. "Wendell, bring the sisters here now!" Wendell nodded and left right away. "We need to determine there exact location before we do anything."

"I agree." Elenor said.

"You don't think its more ships joining us?" Jango asked.

"Five ships at once?" Lino replied, "Not likely, it's probably our 'friend' Vingerhut paying us back for loosing Razril for good this time.

"Definitely," Link responded, "I know that sorry excuse for a human being. One of the things he hates the most is losing, and losing Razril to a bunch of 'no good pirates' is eating away at him right now."

The mermaids came in, and gave a respective bow to everybody in the room.

"We need you to tell us where those ships are and their distance from the fleet." Kika ordered.

The sisters nodded and told them what they needed to know.

After they were finished and left, Link and the others with him decided to come up with a plan.

Link and Lino came up to the bridge, both with a grim look on their faces.

"What's wrong, Father? Link?" Flare asked

"We have five Galen ships coming at us in all directions, three hours away from us." Lino answered

"What?" Flare responded

"Captain Link, two of our ships are backing off right now!" Nalleo yelled out.

"So is the Grieshund!" Eugene yelled out right after Nalleo.

"Relax!" Link called out, "Their just staying behind so that way they could give our 'guests' a little surprise when I give them the signal."

Everyone on the bridge was silent for the moment.

Link stood there for a few second before yelling out, "Everyone, get ready for a fight!"

The people on the bridge did exactly what they were told.

Link headed out the door, which lead to the deck outside.

Sorry if this seems a little short, but I'm having a little trouble deciding on how to continue this, so I let you choose: I can have Snowe give his father a tour of the ship, or you can come up with a little suggestion. Read and Review.


	3. Tough Choices

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Link walked out, noticing that everybody on deck were wondering what the commotion was all about.

"What is going on, Captain Link?" Nico asked.

"We have five Gaien galleons coming in for the kill." Link answered.

"What!" Everybody on deck, except for Wendel, seemed shocked.

"Is my father commanding the ships?" Snowe asked, feeling ashamed.

"We wouldn't put it past him." Jewel answered.

"Right now I've ordered the other three ships to hang back and try to 'surround' them when the time comes." He told them before yelling out, "Ted! Selma! Nico! Wendel! You all keep on the look out for those ships and possible rune cannon being fired!"

He turned his attention to his friends, "You guys go help prepare this ship for battle! Snowe, we need to talk, now!"

Snowe followed Link to the front of the ship. Just as soon as they reached the end, the sea was the only thing making noise. Even though Snowe was getting used to Link being the guy in charge, neither one of them could forget about what happened between them since the past few months.

From the battle against Brandeau, to the battles at sea and finally Snowe being found adrift at sea, the bond they once shared was lost since then.

Link just simply stated, "If you don't want to be a part of this fight, nobody will hold it against you, but understand this, you do have people in this crew who are willing to fight to the end for each other, including you." When a response didn't come, he left to oversee the preparations for the upcoming battle.

Snowe just stood there, thinking about what he should do: Should he go hide from his father? Should he stand up to him for all the things he had to put up with?

Snowe also wanted to say something to Link, but he was having a little conflict with himself: Half of him was feeling guilty for what he did to Link back at Razril, while the other half was feeling both mad and jealous from all the things that Link has achieve during this whole time.

Snowe turned around to see Link, Paula, Keneth, Jewel, and Tal with their swords in the air, something they've done since they became good friends, and yelled out "LET'S DO IT!" before getting everybody else ready for a fight.

Snowe started to mess those days, but was surprised when he saw the crew of the ship, and some of the Crusaders running around, nobody showed any sign of fear, instead everybody was full of pure confidence: confident in their captain, confident of their chances.

"Was it like this when Brandeau attacked?" He asked, mainly to himself. He decided to go help some with the preparations.

Read and Review.


	4. The white flag of peace

TRUE COURAGE FOUND

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

_Two and a half hours later . . ._

Everything and almost everyone on the Dauntless were all ready just as the first set of sails were spotted over the horizon. "Captain Link, we're being surrounded on all sides by Gaien galleons!" Nico yelled out.

"Locate the flagship, Nico! Vingerhut likes to show off as much as possible, despite the situation!" Link ordered, "Give the coordinates to the ninjas so that they can inform the other ships."

"Flagship straight off our forward bow, Captain!"

"Wendel, go down to the second floor and tell the ninjas to give the other captains what they need to know." He ordered her, "And tell Konrad to come out with the flag."

Wendel nodded and left.

Vincent Vingerhut was feeling more than anxious to get his revenge on that brat that has cost him Razril and humiliated him on more than one occasion. On the bridge, he was starting to wonder whatever happened to Snowe. The last he heard about him was that Snowe became a pirate after being prevented from docking at the harbor by the citizens in Razril, but that was about it.

"Lord Vingerhut!" One of his soldiers snapping him out of his thoughts, "One of our lookouts say that he spotted what appears to be Master Konrad holding a white flag." He said while saluting.

"What did you just say?" He yelled out before running out the door. As soon as he was near the front of the ship, he saw something he never expected to see: a familiar, bearded man waving a white flag to prevent any fighting from starting. "I thought you said you were through with wars."

"Because sitting back while others risk their lives to protect others is something that I and Glen agreed that we would never do." Konrad said, showing no fear, "Plus, I also see a lot of Glen inside that boy."

"So tell me, why the flag?" Vingerhut was getting impatient.

"Because, I want to see if we can set the record straight without resorting to spilling the other's blood." Link answered, "A lot of things changed since that first mission involving Brandeau and now is the time for you to finally know what you are up against."

"And what's to stop from ordering my soldiers to attack you now?" Vingerhut asked voice full of cockiness.

Updated at last. Read and Review.


	5. Father and Son reunited

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

"The fact that this crew, and their captain, is all willing to fight to the very end." Lino said, taking his place next to Link.

"Lino En Kuldes, why am I not surprised to see you here?" Vingerhut said, with a little hint of venom in his voice, "Now I have to give all my soldiers extra pay."

"And this time, they made sure to have you write it down on paper so you don't back out, right?" Link said, causing the older man to growl, "A little trick that me and Glen came up with when we got tired of our superiors using their little wild cards in order to get **us** to pay them for their loses. That is one of the main reasons why they try to keep us separated." The people on both ships, except Vingerhut, gave off a little laugh, even the Gaien soldiers.

"And you're still giving me problems!" Vingerhut said, "I still don't know why Glen chose you over my son to train personally." Carrying a chip on his shoulder big enough to overshadow the Scarlet Moon Empire.

"I'll tell you why," Konrad said, deciding to come to his late friend's defense, "Glen told me this while I was visiting him in his room after he got that rune from Brandeau. He told me that how while watching Link and Snowe practicing on their swordsmanship; he saw how much potential Link had compared to your son. Even when he was fighting a friend, he never went easy on anybody. That was when my old friend decided to take that young man under his very wing, and train him in everything, including things that only he himself knew." He then looked at the Captain, who was keeping a brave front, "And after spending so much time together, he admitted that he started to feel as if though the young boy he helped raise was like his own son." He then watched as Link lifted up his left hand, "After he came to rescue you from Brandeau, only to find that you already defeated him, and he couldn't be anymore prouder to have raised you."

"Yeah, well, the feeling was mutual." Link said, "Although his gaining the Rune of Punishment was just case of showing up at the right place at the wrong time."

Vingerhut was starting to get even more impatient, "And if it did I would finally have something to use against the Scarlet Moon Empire."

"I truly doubt that," Katarina said, standing on Konrad's right side, "Glen might have served you with loyalty and devotion as the commander of your knights, but the one thing he would never allow is to have one of his Knights become some sort of 'special weapon' for some personal vendetta that Gaien has had with Scarlet Moon for god knows how long, and he would gladly give up his commission if it meant making sure that Link would have chance at a decent life."

Vingerhut decided to see how many nerves he can push, "And if I were to recall, you were the one to who was more than eager to make sure that somebody pays for the loss of the commander."

"That was because we only heard Snowe's side of that incident, and that was enough for you to get rid of any body that would be considered a threat to your son's chances at advancement." Katarina said, pressing his nerve instead.

"And I could see why whenever I see them training together inside Reinhold's training room, considering how a big a gap there is in their fighting skills, among other things." Konrad said, "But I'm pretty sure you already knew this considering how **Sir** Link always ended up being reminded of what his social status was."

"This was all doomed to fail anyway, considering where we're at now." Link said, "Here you are, trying to get revenge over your pride."

"And here you are leading a bunch of rift rafts with petty dreams trying to change the world." Vingerhut said, getting annoyed.

"I wouldn't underestimate them if I were you, Father," Snowe said, catching the old tyrant off guard, "or else it would be your immediate downfall as it was mine and Kooluk's second fleet."

The murmuring coming from his crew couldn't be helped, but he decided to call a bluff, "Oh, really?" He started out, "You mean to tell me that a bunch of pirates were able to defeat Colton and his fleet, which are considered to be among the strongest in any sea?"

"You could meet him in our brig, which is included with a tour of our ship, only if you would agree to hold off whatever hostilities you might have towards us until afterwards." Link said, "And hopefully, on our part, you might realize what we're really about."

"And it might bust the morale of your men if they didn't have to face people who used to be their comrade not too long ago." Lino said, "Besides, I'm pretty sure you would want to catch up with your son."

Vingerhut only thought for about a second, who worried those who knew him will enough, "I'll agree, but how do I know that you won't pull something?" He asked.

"To put it simply, when push comes to shove, we're the ones who do the shoving whenever somebody decides to push." Link said, "Snowe, he's all yours." He told his 'friend' before he and Lino headed towards the bridge.

"Thanks, Link," Snowe said, before turning towards his father, "Shall we get started father?" He asked his father before following the two men.

Tour starts in the next chapter. Read and Review.


	6. The start of a headache

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

When the Vingerhuts reached their first destination, the bridge impressed the older Vingerhut to no end since this bridge was more massive than the one on his own ship. He looked over to see Link talking to two younger boys, who were nodding to a question that they were asked. "Remember, starting tomorrow, you're going to start getting some hands on training with this stuff." He said, before heading down the stairs.

"We well." Both replied.

"Oh, and Eugene, stop by the training room after your shift ends. I've got some new moves that I want to teach you." Lino said, before following the Captain.

"Yes your majesty." Eugene said.

As soon as the king left, Vingerhut couldn't help but speak his mind, "Wait, aren't you still children?"

This was where Flare decided to step in, "In some ways, they are, but them being here was their choice." She said, while still in the captain's spot, "As from what I was told, you didn't even try to stop either Snowe or Link from joining the academy when they were younger."

"That's because my son is more than capable enough to take care of himself. Unlike your great Captain Link ever could." Vingerhut said, although he could see that nobody seemed fazed at all about his comment."

"Actually it's the other way around." He turned to see Tal coming up the stairs, "During the academy days, the teachers always have to give Snowe special treatment because that way he wouldn't have to know the meaning of hard work. Link on the other hand worked hard to where he's at now, earning everyone's trust and not afraid to actually get his own hands dirty." He said, before turning to Flare "By the way Flare I came to take over since your shift ended a few minutes. So did yours."

Eugene and Nalleo nodded before leaving, Nalleo turned to Eugene and said, "Lets find Rakgi and do some fishing."

"Yeah, sure."

Flare started to go down the stairs, but turned to ask, "By the way, Tal, why were you late."

Tal placed his right hand behind his head, and had a sheepish grin on his face, "Well, I was doing a little fishing, and when me and Ugetsu thought we both had a big one, but it turned out we got each other, and I ended up fishing him out of the water, and let me tell ya, even with Shikamaru's help, that is the biggest fish I have ever caught." He said, causing the bridge members to give a hearty laugh, even Flare started to laugh out loud before continuing down the stairs.

Vingerhut was mad because this boy insulted him and his son, "Listen here brat, you'll address me with some respect. You hear me?" He yelled out, to only receive the response that he wasn't expecting.

Tal just gave him a look that showed no fear whatsoever, "Like that well ever work on me or anyone on this ship. Even Commander Glen was annoyed whenever you tried that on him. You keep demanding respect from others yet you don't show any towards others unless they are in the same class as you are." He said, before getting started on his shift.

Vingerhut was furious because this boy had gal to talk back to him like they were on the same level, "Come, Snowe. Show me the rest of this ship." He ordered Snowe, not wanting to be around this boy any longer. What he didn't see was that Snowe had a look of admiration on his face for those around him who weren't afraid to stand up to somebody as powerful as his father.

When they reached the next level, Snowe started to speak for the first time during this little tour, "This is where the quarters for the captain, the king and his daughter, and the tactician. The doors at the end lead to the saloon, which is the biggest room on the entire ship." He said, just as Desmond came through them, with a teakettle and some cup.

When he reached the end of the hall, he was greeted by Millay, who was at her usual post, "Hey Desmond. I see that it's your turn to bring Sir Link his tea."

"Yes it is. Is the Captain in his cabin?" Desmond asked.

"Yeah, he's in there with the king and Lady Elenor right now." Millay answered back, only to hear an annoyed sigh behind them.

"Why does Lady Elenor keep doing this to me?" Asked Agnes, who had just come out of Elenor's room.

"Oh before I forget, Lady Elenor told me to tell you to take the rest of the day off, and no, she is not kidding." Millay said, just as she heard a knock on the Captain's door, followed by a come in.

Agnes looked like she was getting frustrated by the second, so as soon as Desmond stepped out, she charged past him, bang hard on the door three times, and let herself in.

Those who been around long enough gave a low sigh, "She still has a lot to learn, don't she?" Millay asked.

"Not really, and considering that Helga isn't here, she's just got lucky." Desmond said, before heading back towards the saloon.

Snowe turned around, "Would you like to see the saloon, father." He asked his father.

He only nodded as they proceeded down the hall, "What was that about?" He asked, since he saw the same look on his son's face.

Just as he grabbed the doorknob, Snowe faced his father to explain what just went on. "Agnes is the apprentice of Elenor Silverberg, and what you saw is an everyday occurrence around here. To put it mildly, whenever somebody wants the time of Lady Elenor, Agnes tends to treat everybody like a little kid refusing to share their favorite toy." He explained before opening the door.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, it was then that Vingerhut was able to remember where he heard that name before, "Wait, Elenor Silverberg, the tactician from the Scarlet Moon Empire?" He asked, although he was hoping it would be someone else.

"The one and the same, as for why she is here, you're better off asking her yourself." Snowe said, while heading towards the stairs on the other side. What he didn't notice was that his father was frozen on the spot when he got a good look at the saloon.

Next chapter is up, so enjoy. Read and Review.


	7. Cray's Involvement

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

The saloon was huge compared to the ones Vingerhut has been to. It was two stories tall and looked like it make a high class hotel lobby look like child's play. There in front of him, there was Gareth working on a statue made of marble. When he got a good look at who the statue, he looked like he wanted to destroy it on the spot, "Why would you want to make a statue of **him**?" He asked, with a little bit of venom.

Gareth just ignored how the question was asked, and answered "Well, it wasn't an easy decision, but after care consideration, it isn't hard to realize why there are so many people here in the first place. Basically, this young man brings comfort to those when they truly need it just by looking into his eyes alone."

Vingerhut wasn't too please about how people have more respect for this boy than they do for himself and his son, "Are you coming father?" Snowe asked his father, who snapped out of his thoughts and started walking towards the other side. When he reached the stairwell, he noticed Etienne playing his little mandolin. The music was relaxing enough; unfortunately Vingerhut was far from relaxed. When he went down the stairs, he saw a flourish of activities going on: From Rita playing a game of Ritapon against Rakgi to a game of tops between Basil and Lo Fong. Behind the bar stood Louise and Desmond, serving drinks to Ornan, Izak, and Axel, who were just talking about random things amongst each other. In the other corner of the room, sitting on couch and chairs, were Viki, Rikie, and Helga just doing a little girl talk about who knows what.

"The saloon is just one of the few places on this ship that people can come to unwind, especially considering the fact that we've been dealing with both the Kooluk and the Cray Trading Company." Snowe explained as they walked up to the side of the bar.

"Hey Snowe, want your usual?" Louise asked, only to have Snowe nod his head in an agreement, "And let me guess, double vodka on the rocks?" She said, catching the elder Vingerhut off guard.

When the drinks came, Vingerhut asked "What does the Cray Trading Company have to do with the Kooluk?"

Izak decided to answer, "As it turns out, they've formed an alliance together, which is why the Kooluk has been pushing so hard to invade the islands." This caused Vingerhut's eyes to grow large, "But from what Lady Elenor has explained to us, there is a good chance that the Kooluk are being manipulated by Graham Cray himself, considering some of these reckless actions that he's been putting them through, almost like he was looking for someone, or rather something, in particular."

"Shall we continue father?" Snowe asked, who has already finished his drink.

Vingerhut just finished his drink in a single gulp and nodded. When they left, and reached the end of the hall, "Just what would give the 'Merchant of Death' a reason to help the Kooluk?" He asked his son, not bothering to notice the slight shiver going all over his son's body.

"I'll have to tell you at the end of the tour. Right now even the thought of it is something that you don't want to take lightly." Snowe said, not bothering to wait for a reply, "Anyway, over there is the War Room. Across from it is a door that leads to the back deck, where most of our meals our fished out of the ocean."

Knowing that he probably hit a sensitive spot on his son, he decided to respect his wishes, "And what is with the mirror over there?" He asked, pointing at Viki's teleporting mirror.

Snowe knew better than to tell his father something that would help him for his own personal gain, "Just something that some of the women on the ship decided to place, as for why, well none of us know. Right now Link is smart enough to leave it alone since none of us men are brave enough to come between a woman and a mirror." He explained, "Now let's continue down to the boutiques."

I'll be doing this story floor by floor, just for the heck of it. Read and Review, and even though this story is not one of my finest, the one thing I try to avoid is to leave an unfinished story out there to be forgotten.


	8. Problems with Respect

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

The Boutiques was just as bustling as the saloon was, with Funghi, Kevin and Pam in the center of the room, cooking & serving food for some of the off duty Crusaders, like Aldo and Frederica who were on one side of the counter dining and chatting with each other, while Gary and Ema were on the other side, doing the same.

Jeane was currently helping Ted and Maxine with their runes since they had monster duty coming up, since both are highly capable rune masters, with Ted doubling as an archer.

Nabokov is appraising some artifacts that the mermaid sisters were kind enough to scrounge up from the bottom of the ocean.

Adrienne is busy pounding away on Selma's Evil-Slicing Sword, while Selma herself was having a little drink while she waits.

Gretchen is buying some new equipment from Chandler, who needed help from Gau since the equipment was a little heavy to lift by himself.

Bang was looking like he was going to faint because a red ball fell out of his lottery box, meaning that he has to give the winner, who happens to be Keen, his prize.

"This place is definitely lively, that's for sure." Vingerhut commented, not sure what to think about a ship having its own little shopping district.

"Considering how long this ship stays out at sea, it's not surprising. The Boutiques is a place to get things done, from eating to shopping to maintaining your equipment. The two doors at the other end lead to the hot tubs run by Taisuke. To the right is a room setup as a place to relax for a bit, mainly this floor is just a nice place to get what needs to be done before a battle of any kind." Snowe explained, while Travis was approaching them.

"Hey Snowe, I almost forgot, Phil wanted me to tell you that he has those clothes ready for you to pick up." Travis said, while making his way up the stairs.

"Thanks Travis." Snowe said, while letting his friend walk by, before looking at his father who was raising an eyebrow, "These clothes were starting to get a little revealing, so I asked Phil, the ship's tailor to fix me up some clothes that would fit me comfortable while at the same time last through any situation.

"And whatever happened to the sword I gave you?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, I better pick it up from Adrienne." Snowe said, before leaving his father at the spot.

Vingerhut was nowhere near pleased because of his wounded ego. Even though he is probably about half way through the tour, he was jealous because this ship was more perfect compared to his own. This ship has the same kind of things you would find at any place, while at the same time his pride was getting just as wounded as his ego because nobody on this ship has treated him the way others would treat him the same way to those of his status.

"Excuse us." Vingerhut quickly stepped aside to let Reinbach and Charlemagne through. It wasn't until when they sat down when Vingerhut recognized Reinbach.

"Say, aren't you the son of the Middleport Governor?" He started to ask, "What are you doing on a ship full of riff-raffs?"

This didn't seem to faze anyone at all, "I didn't agree with my father's choices involving the Kooluk, so I decided to volunteer my services to Sir Link." Reinbach answered back, while deciding what he wanted to eat, "And as for these people, while most of them don't come from some royal or noble family, they are anything but what you call them."

"Indeed. You think just because a title makes you better then anybody without one." Charlemagne continued.

"Indeed I am, and I deserve some . . ." Vingerhut started his usual speech before another voice intercepted his.

"If your next word is respect, then you can forget it." Helmut countered, while walking past him, "As I recall, Lino En Kuldes is a king, which means he outranks you plenty, and you didn't show him any respect. Even Sir Link is both this ship's captain and the commander of our army, and you just treated him like he was some kind of criminal. You talk about getting respect yet you don't give any makes you an ungrateful bastard."

Vingerhut was furious because again somebody stood up to him, "Are you ready to go father?" Snowe asked, trying to avoid another conflict that his father would try to provoke.

"Definitely." Vingerhut answered with a bit of rage in his voice.

Snowe looked back at his friends who all gave him a look that said 'Good luck, you're going to need it.'

Here is the latest chapter. Read and Review, and Happy New Year.


	9. No social class needed

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

Snowe and Vingerhut stopped as soon as they reached the next floor. "On this floor we have our ship's doctor and his nurse." He started to explain, "On the left is the doctor's office, and across from it is the ward." He explained while pointing his finger, "Along the hall is some of the quarters of the crewmembers. At the end is the ship library and the confession room."

Vingerhut was a little astonished that this ship actually has something that he himself has been having issues with, "Show me this library." He ordered.

Snowe only nodded just as Carrie ran out of the ward in a panic towards Yu's office and said "Doctor I need your help."

"What's wrong?" Snowe asked just as Yu stepped out of the door.

Carrie had a worried look on her face, "I accidentally let it slip to Trishtan about what was really in those pills he's been taking and he fainted right on the spot." She said, before both ran into the ward.

Vingerhut just looked at his son, and he said only one word "hypochondriac." Before they continued.

When they got near the end of the hall, Rikie stepped out of her room and looked at the two, "Excuse me Snowe, but do you know where my son could be?" She asked.

"Yeah, Rakgi might be at the back deck doing a little fishing with Nalleo and Eugene." Snowe replied.

"Thank you." She said before leaving towards the stairs.

When they got into the library, Vingerhut was shocked to see how fully stacked it was, especially with all the maps in the corner. "My goodness, I never seen a library as full as this place." He complimented.

"Thank you," Tanya said from the first shelf, "Although I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the books."

Vingerhut was looking at this woman like she was a mental case while Snowe went to go read something. Grabbing a book from the shelf, he looked to notice Haruto was going over the maps of who knows what, while Karl was doing a little research. When he saw his father finally recover, Snowe watched as the man walked up and grabbed a book without even looking at the title. "How can you stand being with these people? They have no respect for any kind of authority." He said which to Snowe was becoming as old as his treatment towards those who aren't high class.

"Because the only authority on a ship is its captain," Keneth said just as he came from around the corner, "and so far Link has been doing a great job of it so far."

"Oh hey Keneth, how's it going?" Snowe asked his friend.

"Not much. Just that I was sent by Jewel to let you know that she wants to see you after you're done being a tour guide." Keneth replied.

"I understand, and thanks for the message." Snowe said, while the other boy just nodded and left.

Vingerhut just looked at his son, "Are you dating a common girl?" He asked disappointment clear in his voice.

"Well it's not like he has chance with Flare since she's royalty." They looked to see Warlock standing there, "And so far we've manage to do better when we don't have some kind of hierarchy to deal with."

Knowing what was coming next, "Shall we get going father?" Snowe asked, already knowing what the answer is going to be.

"Yes, let us be going." Vingerhut said, while placing his book back onto the shelf.

When they stepped out, Setsu walked up in a panic, "Excuse me, but have you seen his majesty? He seems to be avoiding me for some reason." He said.

"Last time I checked, he was at the Captain's quarters with Link and Lady Elenor." Snowe answered. Setsu went wide eyed at that answer and disappeared in a flash. Snowe decided to explain this, "The king is trying to keep a low profile on this voyage and Setsu is making it very difficult to do so." They continued on to the final floor.

Here is the latest chapter. Read and Review.


	10. Meeting of two old men

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

Snowe lead his father to the final floor of his tour. "Down at the end is our Rune Cannon control room, which is on the other side of where we keep our prisoners." The ship shook a little just as a body punched a hole through a wall that was next to the door, "And that would be our training room." Helga came out just as he said that, her only words being "Whoops."

Tov came out of the room and looked at the damage, "Damn it Helga, when well you learn to hold your strength?" He asked, while shaking his head, "I hope our next stop has some good wood available."

"Just be grateful it wasn't on the other side." Snowe said.

"No kidding or we would literally be sunk." Tov said while heading back to his office.

Snowe walked up to Helga and asked "So who were you training with this time?"

"Gau, he challenged me into a training session when I left the saloon." Helga said, which was followed by a slight growl, "Excuse me, I think he wants to try for another round." She walked back into the room and the next he saw was Gau's butt being replaced by the hole that was made.

"Just be careful this time or you might actually sink the ship." Snowe said, to receive a loud confirming grunt in return from Gau, before facing his father, who looked a little scared at the moment, "Two of our three strongest fighters by body alone." He explained before continuing with tour, "Anyway over there is the Cultivation room where mushrooms and mints are grown. Only two people stay in there since they tend to creep up out. Down the hall and to the left is the accessory shop that is run by five sisters, across from it is the shipwright's room which doubles as a tailor shop, speaking of which I need to go pick up those clothes." Snowe said before Lilin came out of the shop.

"Excuse me Sir Snowe, but do you know where Sir Link is." She asked.

"Right here." Link said as he came down the stairs, "Are you still up for our lunch date?"

Lilin nodded while a small blush appeared on her face, "Yes Sir Link." She answered while grabbing his arm.

"How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Link?" He asked.

"Sorry." Lilin said, while looking like she just got chewed out by the man, only to be surprised when she felt him kiss her cheek.

"Don't be." Link said, causing the girl's face to flare up. A loud 'ooooooooo' was heard, causing the couple to look up to five pairs of eyes looking at them, "what?" He yelled out, while a small blush of his own appeared on his face. When the door slammed shut, Link noticed the hole on the wall, "Who did Helga hit this time?"

"Gau and they're still going at it." Snowe answered.

Link and Lilin just shook there heads before Link said "I hope those two don't fall in love or we'll be in trouble." Before the two started to head up the stairs.

"How so Sir Link?" Lilin asked out of curiosity.

"Considering how strong they are, imagine how strong their kids will be." He said, causing the three to shiver at the thought, "The children on their own would be considered deadly weapons compared to a rune cannon."

When they were up to the next floor, "Was that a mermaid?" Vingerhut asked. Snowe nodded his head to confirm it, "I thought they were only a myth."

"A lot of people did, but Link, Tal, Jewel and Chiepoo were the first ones of the crew that encountered them, or more specifically her. Her and her four sisters are living here on the ship." Snowe explained, "Do you remember hearing the stories about people killing mermaids for their skin?" Vingerhut nodded yes, "Unfortunately that story is true as well." When he saw his father with a horrified look on his face, "Now if you would excuse me, I need to pick up my clothes."

When his son headed towards the shipwright's room, "Wait, before you enter, explain to me why would mermaids want to live on ship full of mostly humans if there is a chance that they might be skinned by these people as well?" He asked, showing that he still doesn't trust this crew.

"Lilin was the first one to reach out to Link when their home was raided by some merchant ships belonging to the Cray Trading Company." Snowe started to explain, "The first thing Lilin did was try to find some good humans to help, while her family and friends were caught in a net. Link and the others were just leaving Obel on a mission for the king when she caught up to them. When she asked them for help when the merchant ship came up to them demanding that Link hand her over, even by force only to be defeated afterwards. While they were fighting, Tal cut the net open to help the captured mermaids, which most of them did, unfortunately some were already dead. That was also when Kika introduced herself when one of her crew was starting to push his luck."

"And he's dating a mermaid?" Vingerhut asked, finding it hard to swallow.

"Hey don't knock them out yet," Jewel started saying while walking out of the Accessory shop, "Right now they're probably the best example of the saying 'love knows no boundaries.'" She then turned to Snowe, "Anyway Snowe, I wanted to let you know that I'm welling to change our lunch date into a dinner date since you've got stuck with escort duty." She said before walking away.

"Looking forward to it." Snowe said as Jewel left, "Now if you would excuse me, Father." He said before walking into the Shipwright's room.

Vingerhut was standing by himself when a voice got his attention, "My, my, my, either I see Vincent Vingerhut standing before me or is this old man's eyes starting to loose their touch." Vingerhut walked a few steps before noticing Colton in his cell with an amused look on his face.

Vingerhut was shocked at this, "I thought they were exaggerating when they said they captured Colton of the Kooluk's Second Fleet. Now I'm wondering if after I'm finished with these fools . . ."

"Even if you did, Sir Troy would turn your entire fleet of ships into a fleet of coffins." Colton intercepted, "And I seriously doubt you would be able to do any serious damage to this ship or the fleet."

"What makes you think I would loose to a fleet full of rebels?" Vingerhut asked.

Cliffhangers, something that even I can't resist doing. One or two more chapter(s) left to this story, so enjoy. Read and Review.


	11. Snowe's True Courage

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

"What makes you think I would loose to a fleet full of rebels?" Vingerhut asked.

"Considering that these rebels were able to reunite the islands together for a good cause, plus pull off a pincer maneuver on us when we least expect it, then you don't even stand half of a chance in defeating them." Colton answered.

Vingerhut just snorted, not believing a word Colton said, "That was nothing but a fluke, and nothing more."

"There is a difference between a fluke and good leadership, and considering that we've beaten a good portion of the Kooluk forces, I'd say it's the last one." Both men turned to be greeted by Warlock, just as he exited out of the cannon control room.

Colton chuckled at this, "Indeed, and in a way, I'm glad that Sir Troy had let him and his friends go after we defeated them." He said.

Vingerhut was surprised to hear this, "If you defeated them, then why didn't you kill them on the spot when you had the chance?" He asked.

"Because when we found them, they were just a group who could never return home due to being exile from there." Colton explained, "Plus, if we have killed Link, then one of us would have been next to receiving the Rune of Punishment."

"Which is what this invasion is really about." Warlock said, "Cray doesn't care about which side wins. Right now, the only thing he wants is the Rune that currently resides on the boy's hand. For what purpose, only he knows."

"Excuse me, Sir Warlock," All three men turned to see Paula walking up to them, "Lady Elenor would like to see you whenever you have some free time."

"Any time away from Pablo is free time for me." Warlock said, before walking away.

Paula looked at Vingerhut for a bit before walking away, "Wait," She stopped to listen to what he has to say, "Tell me, why would your friends stand up to me since you all used to serve under me as one of my knights?"

"The keywords are **used to**," Paula started answering back, "The reason why we stand up to you is because we're on a ship in the middle of water, and the only authority around here is the captain. The main reason is because you exiled our friend from the island without even giving him a chance to defend himself. We were the only ones who believed in him in the first place, and the fact that you did not send one single ship to aid us against the Kooluk invasion fleet gives us every right to stand up to you."

Vingerhut was angry at the response, "She's right, Vingerhut." Colton started saying, "While you sat around scratching your butt, you left your son alone to a possible death, and when the island becomes free from Kooluk control, you walk in and act like you still own the place even though you never even once lifted a finger to help.

Paula started to walk away once again, "Hey Snowe, I see you finally got some new clothes." She said, while greeting her friend.

Snowe was wearing something similar to his pirate suit, except without the collar, "Yeah, well, my old clothes were starting to show off parts of me that don't need public viewing, so I decided to go for a little change."

"I think Jewel would be disappointed about that since she was hoping to see parts of your you-know-what." Paula said, leaving behind a very red Snowe, and a laughing Colton.

Vingerhut was getting mad at this, "Snowe, I want you to come with me now, off this cursed ship. I'm afraid this crew is becoming a bad influence on you." He ordered, while walking away. When he noticed that Snowe was right where he left him, "Snowe, you will do exactly what I say, I'm your father."

"Could have fooled me," Snowe said, "Since the last time I checked, I don't owe you anything, but you owe me plenty."

Vingerhut is shocked by this, his own flesh and blood was no longer listening to his commands, "Snowe, son, what has gotten into you?"

Snowe was now getting angry, "Oh, you leave me on my own against the Kooluk without sending any support and you want to know what's gotten into me?" He said, making his father's eyes grow wide, "You thought that I'll still be the same person you left in charge of Razril, that I would start begging you to save me from these people, even though they've been watching out for me."

Vingerhut started felt like he was being attacked hard by his own son, "See what I'm saying, this crew is turning you . . ." He started to say, before Snowe intercepted him.

"Turning me into what? My own person?" Snowe said, "Ever since I started walking on my own two feet, you were making decisions for me, without even asking for what I thought about it. Growing up was hard for me because my father was the governor of the area, plus a big part of Gaien, that I never got a chance to have a decent childhood."

Vingerhut's ego was now in control of him, ""Now you see why I wouldn't let you be with that Link and his friends? They've corrupted your mind. Now I want you to come with me right this moment."

Snowe was now furious, "No father, I will not come with you. Link and the others were the only friends that I've had. They were the only ones to treat me like an equal while most of the town was too busy kissing up to me." He said, before walking away, "As of now, I'm no longer your son, since you made that perfectly clear at Razril. Now please leave this ship."

About a hour later, Vingerhut was on his ship, trying to control his anger. Not only did this crew show no fear of him whatsoever, his only child cut him off from his life. He looked up to his ship's captain, "Sir, what would you like to do now.

Vingerhut had only one answer, "We attack."

Here it is the latest chapter. The next one will be the final one. I'm still determining on wither I should let Vingerhut get killed, or let him live. Read and Review.


	12. Quickest Fight Ever

**TRUE COURAGE FOUND**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, except this story, on Suikoden IV.

Author's note: The names I chose for the game are as follows; the hero's name is Link, the ship's name is the Dauntless, and the army's name is the Crusaders.

He looked up to his ship's captain, "Sir, what would you like to do now.

Vingerhut had only one answer, "We attack."

Link, Lino, Izak and Ted are standing on the deck of the Dauntless, waiting for the fight to start. On the back of the deck, all of their archers and most of their rune masters are at the ready. Right now the entire fleet is waiting for their commander to give the signal.

When a couple of red flares shot up from Vingerhut's ship into the sky, Link knew that was the signal for the Gaien ships to begin their attack. Link placed two fingers into his mouth and gave a loud whistle. That was the only thing needed to get everything into motion. When he saw Vingerhut coming out of his cabin, along with his entire crew, Link placed his hands onto his swords.

Vingerhut had a confident grin on his face, "You won't attack us Link. You wouldn't harm any of your . . ." He started saying before he was once again proven wrong.

"Fire cannons." Link yelled out, while pulling his swords out. All four cannons fired on the other side, damaging the Gaien ship that was getting to go in for the attack. Some more cannons can be heard all around them, which were followed by the screams of those going into combat. When Vingerhut recovered, he looked at Link, who said "You have two choices: Fight to be defeated badly or run like the coward you are because the ones I would consider comrades are the ones who chose to stay and Razril out during the Kooluk Occupation."

Vingerhut's ego got the best of him once again. "Kill them all!" He ordered his crew.

Just as the first wave of soldiers came aboard the ship, they were taking down by well aimed shots from Ted and the other archers while Konrad, Katarina, Jewel, and Viki were using their runes against the archers of the other ships. "Everyone, time to show them why they should fear the Crusaders." Link yelled out, while taking on the first set of soldiers.

The fighting barely lasted an hour, and the one known as Vincent Vingerhut is at the mercy of his own son, who has defeated him in a sword fight. "What are you going to do to me now, son?" He asked, trying to keep up a brave front.

"Even though you are probably the biggest, egotistical, most selfish person I've ever met, you are still my father. I'm not going to kill you." Snowe said, while placing his sword into its scabbard.

"And we're not going to place you into one of our brigs since you don't seem to possess anything valuable to us." Lino said.

"But I do have one idea that might suit you perfectly." Link said.

Two hours later, Vingerhut found himself floating in the middle of nowhere, in a lifeboat all alone, thinking about his next revenge.

Back on the Dauntless, Link and Snowe are watching the ocean, "So how does it feel to be standing up for yourself?" Link asked his friend.

"Pretty good actually." Snowe said, "I always used to think that life was just some game, where I don't have to do anything except take what is given to me. Ever since I was allowed to join this crew, I felt like finally got the chance to open my eyes."

Link just looked out to sea for a bit before saying "That's one thing about being apart of this ship and this crew, it can change you if you would allow it." He said, before leaving to attend to his duties.

Snowe just stood there for a bit before saying "The ship, maybe, the crew, probably, but I'm pretty sure the thing that inspires change the most is you, old friend."

This is it, the last chapter to this story. Sorry for the chapters, including this one for being so short, but I've got too many projects I'm working on, including a few stories on this websites. Thanks for reading this story, and check out some of my other stuff. Read and Review, and have a good Memorial Day for those who celebrate it.


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